AFTER a militant attack in its vicinity killed 62 police cadets on Oct 24, Quetta’s Police Training College appears to be wrapped up in a security blanket on Oct 30. By 10am, motorcade upon motorcade of senior police officials visit the college, seeking answers from each other.

The institution began its life as Police Training School and recruitment centre in Kalat in 1963. With the Baloch separatist movement gaining momentum at the time, the commandants those days feared an attack. So the recruitment centre was moved to Quetta the same year. It was eventually converted into a training school in 1978.

After remaining a school till the 1990s, it was converted into a college in 2003 under the leadership of Dr Shoaib Suddle, a former IG of Balochistan and Sindh. Courses range from drill, driving and prohibition to recruiting and junior commander course.

This is not the first time the college was attacked — in 2006 the outlawed BLA fired rockets which fell into the vicinity

Since its inception, about 44,000 cadets have passed out from the PTC. At present, the college sits on a 150-acre plot and has four hostels. The attack occurred at the Jinnah Hostel. A senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the consistent issue with the PTC, which is also a huge security lapse, is the five-foot boundary walls on the eastern, southern and northern ends of the college.

“These boundary walls remain vulnerable to an attack. (The terrorists are said to have entered from the southern end of the college, according to officers). Concerns regarding this were consistently shared with the higher authorities. It included a recent speech by the IG Police, Ahsan Mehboob, at the passing-out ceremony of the PTC cadets on Sept 6.

“Nothing took place despite the reminder,” the officer added.

The IG said in his speech at the parade that 975 officers had completed their training courses — 109 officers and 866 recruits. He also said that “the surrounding boundary walls have weakened due to rain” and sought funds for rebuilding.

This is not the first time the building has been attacked. In 2006 and 2008, the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) fired rockets which fell in its vicinity, according to an officer.

In 2008, bullets came raining from the Koh-i-Murdar mountain range, falling on the eastern side of the college. Mines were spread on the eastern end where the recruits were headed for the firing range at dawn. There was no boundary wall at the time. It was because of this incident that a boundary wall was eventually constructed, the officer said.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2016